Suppressing Time
by dai.the.writer
Summary: What happens when you're closest friend returns home from something you never dreamed he would be able to survive? This is a short story through the life, love and friendship of Madge Undersee and Peeta Mellark. I like them. They're cute.
1. Preface

Suppressing time had become one her specialties.

And she had never waited more patiently for something in her entire life.

The train pulled up, she stood in her chair. They both got off, she stood in her chair. They hugged their family and friends, she stood in her chair. They shared a kiss, and although she gripped her seat a little tighter than normal, she stood in her chair. When the program was over and her television immediately shut off, she stood in her chair.

She listened to the sounds in her house. The faint sound of her mother breathing downstairs in the room on the left. The birds flying, chirping and winding their way through the air. The way her house made the occasional creak, indicating that there could possibly be a spirit wandering the walls of her house. She wouldn't be surprised, it was an old house.

Just to suppress the time, she made a story of the spirit. Possibly a lost soul of the mayor's wife who died before her father became mayor of District 12. It'd be nice to know that her mother wasn't the only walking dead person in her house. It suppressed her for an hour and a half. It was a good, well thought-out story and situation of this spirit. It blocked her mind from what actually was going on in her current life. But after all that thinking and pondering, even the story came to an end, and she was left back with her emotions.

Still, she stood in her chair. She was afraid to move for about three specific reasons.

Her mother thought that she was at the ceremony for the returning victors... she was not. To make a move would indicate that she was home. And she didn't want that. So she stood in her chair.

Moving would require risking the choice of letting her body control her, and she might just end up running to his new house and flinging her arms around him with such power and force that she could strangle him to death, so she stood in her chair.

And the last reason, was risking the fact of breaking down to the floor in a pile of hysterical tears. And there was no real reason for that, so she stood in her chair.

She took this time to notice how the wonderful light yellow color was just the greatest thing she had ever seen in her entir-

The door downstairs pushed open.

No, not the front door her father would use when he arrived. Nor the back door that she would open when Gale Hawthorne came with her meal of the night.

It was the secret door in the basement. The one only she would be able to hear. A sound she has not heard in a while. She shut her eyes and stood in her chair, making her body so rigid that she was physically hurting herself as she gripped her seat. Then the silent sound of someone coming up the back staircase; a sound so faint but she had trained her ears to hear over time. It seemed almost impossible for tears to fall from her eyes considering she was shutting them so tight, but they came anyways.

Then her door opened and she let out a choking sounds, but she didn't open her eyes; she stood in her chair. "Madge?" his voice rings and she finally can feel it. Her emotions and the final crack of her heart. Hands grip her arms and a voice, that's pleading and sobbing is reaching her ears. "Madge, I'm home."

Suddenly there's a loud sob and a bang, as both bodies fall to the floor in a huge embrace.


	2. Chapter 1

It was a long embrace. So long, that Madge wasn't even sure how long they had been down there crying on each other. She just felt her shoulder wet with his tears. This only made her cry harder.

Madge had never imagined that he had ever even missed her. She just immediately assumed he loved Katniss _too_ much to even ever consider her. That he never even cared about her enough. That their years of friendship was nothing compared to the love he had for Katniss Everdeen.

So, to lesson the blow of this, she assumed the worst. She exiled their friendship in her mind. It was nothing to her at all. To tell herself they had nothing, and that they never will have anything.

When they released, both of them looked at each other and started laughing. "We're both a wreck."

Peeta Mellark laughed at her comment, wiping his face slightly. "Yeah, we are."

Madge noticed that he was dressed normally, like the baker's son she remembered. She smiled at him and jumped, hugging him again. When she pulled back, she held his face in her hands.

"I'm so happy you're home. That you're _both _home." she felt herself choking over her words, struggling to get them out. And Peeta let her, because he knew that if there was anyone who was better at lying with ease and bringing someone to their side of a situation, it was Madge. This was rare and he was scared. "I thought... I thought you would have forgotten me. That I didn't mat-matter... that you wouldn't come home or see me or know me or love me or hug me or do anything with me anymore or be my best friend or-"

"Madge-"

"I was so scared." she continued, not allowing him to speak. "But you're here. You're alive. I won't end up like my mother... I won't lose my best friend."

Peeta sighed and grabbed her face. "I could _never _forget about you, Madge. You're my best friend. I couldn't leave you hear alone. Not with everything going on. But I'm home now. Madge, I'm alive."

"You are." she said, smiling. "And I'm so _happy_!"

Madge jumped against Peeta and they rolled on the floor in happiness, because in that moment, they were both alive and they could love each other for just a moment longer.

* * *

><p>Neither Peeta nor Madge had ever imagined how precious the time to love someone really was. Not until Peeta went into the games.<p>

Growing up, both of them interacted well. They were always thrown together at parties and gatherings and babysitting. If there was anyone the Mellark's trusted it was the Undersee's and viceversa.

So, if two little 5 year old kids were thrown together so often, eventually a friendship grows. But it was so much more then that. They had never really analyzed their friendship. It was just a sort of fondness for each other.

So being together every day, meeting up every day, doing homework, going for walks, sticking together at the district parties, and going to their secret place always seemed so normal to them, because it's what they've always known since they were young kids.

It was just a habit. They didn't realize how passionate and loving their friendship really was up until the point Effie Trinkett called out Peeta Mellark's name during the Reaping. That's when Madge's heart fell, and her body went insane. She was either shocked or calm, because she wasn't moving. But her mind raced and she only came out with one word.

_"No." _

It's something she didn't want to remember. And then she was the last one in his room when he got to say his goodbyes.

_"...Madge!" he said, standing up when she came in. _

_She stood there for a second and then ran to him, embracing him in a huge hug. She let out a choking sob and said, "Oh, Peeta." _

_She pulled away and she could see he was also crying. "Madge, I don't want to. I don't want to kill them. I never want to kill anyone. Madge, please-"_

_"I wish I could help you but I can't." she said, holding his chest. "Listen to me," she said in a foggy voice. More tears came as she spoke. "Promise me, that you'll survive. You don't have to kill _anyone _but please _try_ to stay alive. For me, please?"_

_There was a quick pause and then she said it, "You're my best friend, Peeta. I can't lose you. Not now."_

_And then she was being dragged out of the room by the Capitol people..._

And those things mattered. The memories they had. The moments they shared. They mattered.

To Peeta as well. As much as he loved Katniss, he always had a special place in his heart for Madge because that is his best friend.

They were a perfect match.

Peeta talked with such ease that anyone would believe him at any given moment. He charmed people to see his way. He was the most charming, admirable person who could manipulate anyone, but he was blind to this. His other default was his heart, that believe too much in the good of bad people. He was so... there was no word for it. Other than Madge, who matched up to him.

Madge was quiet and timid, and didn't say many things. But when she opened her mouth to speak, it's like hanging onto the words that would save your life. She said the most intelligible and magical things that just by saying a word people wanted to be with her. People saw beauty in every single being of her. All by just being mysterious.

They were perfect best friends. That's the way it's always been.

After the tears had stopped, they both sat up and talked.

"You've had some ride, huh?" Madge asked, leaning into her hands.

"You have no idea. It's been insane. It's just... I thought I'd never see District 12 again. That's what I was mentally prepared for. I was prepared to die if it meant Katniss would live."

She gave a sarcastically fake hurt sigh, "Do I matter at all?"

He smirked and laughed at her, "Of course you do. More than anything. But you know exactly why."

She did. She remembered that conversation from a few months before the Reaping.

_Peeta and Madge were sitting down in their secret hide out. The little tunnel under the basement. They hadn't been down there in a while but considering that it was Peeta's birthday, this was what he wished for._

_"Peeta, I know it's your birthday and all, and this was cute when we were 11, but now it's just gross. It's dirty and there are spiders down here." Madge said, sitting on the blanket. _

_"It's not dirty, it's concrete floor." he said, sitting opposite her on the blanket. "And don't be such a wimp." _

_She hit him on the shoulder. "I'm not a wimp, I'm disgusted." But she didn't move from the blanket. _

_"Do I get my gift now?" he asked, as he stared at the wrapped present behind her._

_"No." she said. _

_He shrugged and said, "Fine by me. I told you_ _I didn't want anything anyways. Keep it."_

_"Your charming little game doesn't work on me, Peeta Mellark. Save it for when it matters." _

_He let out a small chuckle as he lifted the basket lid. He passed her a cupcake with a decorative 'M' on it, with a flower next to it._

_She smiled at him. "You're ridiculous." _

_"What?" he said, his mouth half full. "You love flowers!" _

_"I know. But you're just so good at this kind of stuff. You're an artist." _

_"Don't say that. You know I hate when-" _

_"But you are one! I'm just saying."_

_Peeta sighed, "Madge-"_

_Madge copied his ridiculous sigh and said, "Peeta-"_

_That was another point of Madge's personality. She loved to be extremely witty and sarcastic. She never stopped joking or being funny. But in the family she grew up in, learning to have a sense of humor was a gift for her. Something she was strong enough to develop on her own. That's something that Peeta never took for granted. Her ability to want to be so different from her family, even though she was an only child. _

_"Listen," she said, grabbing his hand. "You do what you do so wonderfully. I wish I could share it with the entire world. This is what you love. Painting. The designs. You deserve to be happy Peeta, everyone does. And I know that your family doesn't appreciate it but I do. More than anything. And you have to do this. It's what your good at. So don't ever stop and don't let your _mother_ stop you from that. Promise me?" _

_Peeta didn't ever promise this to her before, but something about this time was different. So different, that she, in fact, was gripping his hand with such force, that he never wanted to say no to her ever again._

_"I promise." _

_She nodded and loosened her grip on his hand and then dropped it. Then she silently reached behind her and handed him his gift. He rolled his eyes but tentatively opened the wrapping. Under the wrapping paper, there was a box. He lifted the lid and his eyes got wide. _

_Inside the box was a set of seven white canvases, acrylic paint and paintbrushes. _

_"How-how did you get these?" he asked. _

_She shrugged. "My father is the mayor. A couple of month's allowance and an official capitol stamp, you can get anything you want really." _

_"Madge-" _

_"Please." she said. "Save it. You know how I feel about feelings." _

_He tossed all his gifts to the side and tackled her into a hug. SO forceful that she fell against the floor. She laughed as he strangled her body. He dug his face into her neck and flipped them over. _

_"-" he repeated against her neck rolling around on the concrete floor. She laughed but couldn't break free of his grasp; he was too damn strong. _

_"Peeta!" she squealed and laughed._

_He finally stopped rolling on the floor, with Madge laying on his chest. He kissed her cheek gently. "Thank you! This is the best gift ever." _

_When she tried to get up, he held her there. "Okay." she said, and she laid against his chest. She could hear his steady heart beat calming down as they both laid there. _

_"You made me promise but what if I die." he said._

_Her body jolted a little. "Don't say that." she said. He tighten his grip around her. "I would never let you die. Ever." _

_He snorted. "What if I was chosen for the Hunger Games. You couldn't save me then." _

_"Dammit." she muttered against his chest. He laughed at her._

_"Imagine that. If me or you were in the games..." she said. _

_She pondered this for a moment before his words cut through her thoughts. "I'd save the other person." _

_She lifted her head to look at him. "Why?" _

_"Because my family doesn't need me. My parents have two older children that I'm sure they would be happy enough to take care of." he said, shrugging. "The only person I would have to live for is you. And even then, I wouldn't be too concerned about you." _

_"I would fall into the deepest depression."she mocked._

_"You wouldn't though." he said lightly. "Because then you'd be exactly like your mother and I know for a _fact _that's not something you want."he stated. "You're stronger than that. I'm not saying you wouldn't think of me often. Cry once in a while, but you'd move on. You'd be my only regret in dying."_

_There was silence. "Don't forget Katniss Everdeen." _

_Peeta made an exasperated sound. "I should have never told you that." _

_"But you did!" she said. 'She lifted herself up a little and he let her go. She hung by his face. "Don't worry. If you gert picked, I'll be sure to tell her your dirty little secret."_

_"I appreciate that." he said, laughing. _

_They both sat up and Madge took another bite of her cupcake. He also took he last bite of his cupcake. "It wouldn't matter anyways." _

_"Why not?" Madge mentioned. _

_"Because everybody knows that Gale loves her. Everybody knows that they love each other. I'm just second best."_

Madge came back form her flashback. "She loves you too."

He laughed. "Madge, don't believe everything you hear in the games." Then his face went rigid again and he leaned in to Madge until he was whispering in her ear. "It was an act. To get us out alive."

She rolled her eyes. "It was not." she whispered slightly, even though there was no reason to. "You do love her."

"But we both know she doesn't love me that way." he said, now extremely close to Madge. His nose was against her cheek and he leaned against her, with an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry Peeta." she said. "You must be dying."

He let out a heart breaking last couple of words. "The thing is... she'll always love _him _more than _me_."

Madge had always considered Peeta to be recognizably better than Gale, considering Gale was so extremely rude to her any chance that he got to be. But she figured she only felt this way because Peeta was her best friend in the entire world. The only person she really ever _knew_.

But Katniss and Gale were perfect for each other. Everybody knew that they were best friends and they were meant to be. Except now, they were cousins. That's what people had to believe. In order for them to stay alive, right?

"Does that mean..." Madge didn't finish her statement.

"I think it does..." he said. He looked at her. "I think Katniss Everdeen is my new life."


	3. Chapter 2

These words rang in my head even as he left.

"_I think Katniss Everdeen is my new life."_

It was almost palpable, the hurt in her emotions. Maybe not to Peeta but to herself. She just didn't know why...

She stood at the back door to the basement entrance, about a minute or two after he disappeared behind it. Then, there was a knock on the front door.

She quickly slipped herself out of her trance and walked to the door. She counted to thirty and then opened it.

The beautiful girl in green and brown clothing and a braid in her hair stood there. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, registering what was happening. Then, when Madge saw her pin, clipped onto her clothing, she couldn't control herself. She stepped forward and brought Katniss into a long embrace.

When she stepped back, she stepped aside and let Katniss into her house.

"You're home." was the only thing Katniss stated as she sat down at the kitchen table. Madge went for the brownies on the counter she got from the bakery the day before.

"So are you." Madge stated, smirking a little as she turned to look at Katniss. She got one of Katniss' famous smiles, which wasn't even like a smile at all. She put the brownie down in front of her.

"I'm not-"

"Leave it there then." Madge stated, taking the seat across from her.

Katniss looked around the kitchen, at the nice decor, a house similar to the new house she was introduced to just that earlier morning. When her eyes fell onto the fridge, something caught her eye but she ignored it. She looked back at Madge, who hadn't taken her eyes away from Katniss.

"I just... I assumed you'd be at the celebration this morning and when you weren't... I just..."

Madge tried to make herself look as bias as possible, even though she wanted to break down at the sight of Katniss alive. Something said that seeing both Peeta and Katniss alive was a good thing. Had Katniss died and Peeta lived, the hurt would not have only been in Peeta but for her as well. Anything that made her best friend happy, made her happy.

"I need to say thank you."

Madge's ears perked up. She had never been specifically close to Katniss, even though they both ended up together sometimes due to the fact that they were both mostly outsiders.

"Why?"

"For the pin. It's become a symbol almost, of life. Had you not given it to me, nobody would really be so enticed by Peeta and me and - just thank you."

Madge nodded. "Trust me," she stated, "You deserved to have that."

"Well, here take it-"

"Absolutely not!" Madge shrieked. "It's yours to keep."

Katniss didn't argue. Instead she took a bite out of the brownie in front of her. Madge smiled inwardly to herself.

"What?" Katniss asked.

"It's just a funny... story I was thinking of. Someone once told me that nobody can resist sweets. That if you leave it there long enough, they're going to eat it."

Katniss slowed her chewing and swallowed the brownie and said, "Oh."

Madge removed the brownie from in front of her and put it back in the bakery box. When she turned around, Katniss was standing by the fridge. She was looking at the oldest picture that they had there.

"Is this... is this you and Peeta?"

Madge nodded. "As children."

Katniss looked surprised as she touched the picture. "You guys were adorable. I didn't know you guys even knew each other."

Madge wanted to snort out loud at the comment. But she had to remember not to, that nobody really did know that. They weren't very open about it. But she wasn't sure what she would say to Katniss.

"We do. He came to see me a little before you, actually."

This seemed to surprise her immensely because she gave Madge a strange look and asked, "I didn't know that."

Madge shrugged, seeing as Peeta obviously never brought her up. She probably should have felt hurt, but she didn't. It's better that way.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

"I should go." Katniss said.

"Relax," she said, walking to the back door. "I think it's just Gale."

Katniss relaxed and tensed up all at the same time. Madge turned around and smiled at Katniss, "Don't worry. He only likes to hate me. You have nothing to worry about."

Madge opened the door.

"Hello."

"Hi." she said, looking at Gale. When she saw he was empty handed she asked, "Are you looking for Katniss?"

"No."

"Well, then why are you here?"

"I have to talk to you..."

Madge lifted her eyebrows and stepped to the side. "I have company right now but I'll meet you at the square in 25 minutes."

"Fine." he said, his eyes flashing to Katniss. He smiled at her genuinely. "I'll see you later Katniss. Madge."

After Madge had shut the door, Katniss asked, "I thought you said Gale doesn't like you."

"He doesn't."

"Well, then why does he want to talk to you."

"I honestly have no clue." Madge shrugged.

Although she had no clue, she had an idea.

_Two days before the coming home of the victors, after Madge had stopped spontaneously crying at any moment, she was finally having a full meal. Well, as much of a meal as anyone was going to get there at District 12. _

_Just then, a knock sounded from the back door. She walked over sheepishly and answered, hiding half of her face behind the door. _

_"Hi." Gale said._

_This was the first time in a _long _time that she had seen Gale at her door. The first time since the Reaping. But she always found herself distracted by making a bag of food for him to trade. It calmed her. It was the only normal thing in her life._

_"Hello." she said back._

_Madge pulled a bag off the table to give to him but when she turned around, she realized something different about Gale. Something lonely. _

_And it took her some time to realize that Gale was without Katniss. Something she had never quite got used to before. And although Gale was strong, he looked hallow and weak. Something almost all the people of District 12 looked like. _

_He was starving. As quickly and quietly as she could, she slipped the back back onto the counter and into the bread box. When she did that, she opened the door a little wider. _

_"I can't seem to find it." she said, looking around like an idiot. "Won't you come in whilst I look for it." _

_Gale made a disgusted face and shook his head,"I'll just wait." _

_"Alright." she said, leaving the door wide open for him now. "But I know you wouldn't like anyone seeing _you _interacting with _me_." _

_There it goes, the totally convincing and important part of Madge's personality. She was acutely aware of her ability to manipulate people. So, when she went to check the cabinets under the sink, with her back to the door, she was in a bit of a doubt that Gale would actually come in._

_But when she turned around, he was standing in her house, the door closed behind him. She smiled at him and said, "There. That wasn't _that _painful, was it?" _

_He made a face, one between disgust and amusement. Then she started to look more, pretending that she couldn't find it. _

_"This is so strange, I made the bag up myself this morning. Where could it have gone?" _

_"Maybe a butler moved it." _

_She shook her head at Gale. "I don't have butlers. I take care of myself." _

_She slammed a cabinet shut a little harder than she should have, but Gale didn't even flinch. She had the right mind to drop the act and stop what she was about to do to for him, but that would prove nothing. _

_"Look," she said, exasperated. "I can't find it. But why don't you sit down and I'll serve you a plate to eat."_

_Gale looked a little aghast. A little taken aback by her offer. His shocked face offered some kind of advantage to her, so before he had the right mind to remember who he was talking to, she pulled out a plate and said, "Sit."_

_It was so strange to Gale. To find himself taking a seat at the Mayor's table and to have a plate in front of him. To have this girl serve his meal. And he doesn't think he would have sat down, had it not been for something about this girl that he couldn't quite get. _

_She didn't do this often. Nobody would willingly give up a meal to someone they barely know. He always expected her to have looked down on him. To have been bratty. But like normal, Gale underestimated her. _

_Of course she was nice, Katniss liked her._

_When she was finished with his plate, she turned to put the utensils down in the sink. _

_"Margaret-"_

_"Just call me Madge." _

_"Margaret?" he said again. She turned around and looked at him._

_"Yes, Gale?" _

_"Why are you doing this?" _

_"You're starving."_

_"Is this pity?" _

_"Yes." she said. "Because you're starving and I haven't been able to eat anything for past three weeks so, please, just eat the food."_

_He didn't argue any further. He took spoonful after spoonful of food and when he was finished, Madge removed his plate. Then he put the strawberry on the counter and walked out the door. "Thank you." he said. _

_She smiled at him and nodded, then she watched him disappear in the direction of The Hob. _

_Later on that night, when Gale got home, his mother was standing by the fire, already cooking a meal. _

_"Oh, Gale, sweetheart. Someone left this on out doorstep addressed to our family. How nice of them." _

_Gale looked towards the counter, where a bag full of food was sitting there. He shook his head and smiled towards his mother. _

_"There really are some sweet people in this world, huh Mom?" _


	4. Chapter 3

A short time after Katniss left, Madge walked over to the square. When she got there, she saw a group of kids playing. One of the kids kept tripping over his shoelaces and tucking them into the sides of his shoes, then running again.

She walked over to the group of kids.

"Hi guys. What are you playing?"

"Tag, Miss Undersee."

"Hey I have a secret for you guys." she said, bending down to the ground and motioning them to come closer. When they were close enough she whispered, "My name is Madge."

All the kids giggled.

"Can we call you Madge?" one intelligent little girl asked.

"Of course!" she said, laughing. "But, remember, it's a secret. So don't tell _anyone_. Now go play."

They all ran away except for the one boy, who tripped over his shoelaces and fell to the ground.

She bent down next to him, so they were eye level. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes Madge." he said.

"Give me your foot." she said, motioning for his leg. He pushed one forward and she grabbed his shoelaces.

She tied one foot and then motioned for the next one. When she was done tying that one, she grabbed the little boys shoulders. "Better?"

"Yes." he smiled at her, tearing up. "They feel better."

She gave the boy a hug and then said, "Go, play with the others."

"Okay. Bye Madge." he said, and as he was running away he yelled to the others. "Look! Madge Undersee tied my shoes!"

There was a murmur of approval from the kids as she turned around, only to come face to chest with Gale Hawthorne.

"Oh, hi." she said, waving up at him.

"Hi." he said, in a gruff voice, his grey eyes staring at the kids. "That was sweet of you."

She shrugged. "He was gonna kill himself tripping over his shoes."

He looked at her and then said, "Okay. Let's walk."

They walked in silence mostly. Up until the got to the fence on the outer gates of District 12.

"You don't have to-"

"Margaret-" he started. She rolled her eyes. "Thank you. For the food. You didn't have to do that."

She shook her head. "Of course I did. I know you felt guilty you ate and your family didn't."

"But that wasn't any of your concern. And you did it anyways."

"Yeah, well..." she started but then got pulled silent by a slight breeze that ruffled the trees.

She sighed heavily. "It's okay. I know this was really hard for you to do."

She smirked at him but he didn't catch on to her sarcasm. She looked down. "I should go back home." she said.

"Let me walk you there."

They started walking again. Madge laughed to herself. "Some couple of weeks, huh?"

He laughed in agreement. "Yeah, you could say that."

"It must suck. Seeing Peeta with Katniss."

Gale stood silent. Madge hoped maybe she would have scared him off but instead, he said, "I feel replaced."

"It's always that way when it's someone you love."

They finally got to Madge's door and Gale said, "Is that how it is for you?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Yeah..." she said. "Yeah, I think so."

And then they parted ways.

* * *

><p>There was no doubt that Madge loved Peeta. She really did. It's the only person that wasn't really family that she loved entirely.<p>

"Madge..." she heard faintly from her mothers room.

Madge sighed and walked up the stairs. She opened the door to her mothers room and saw her sitting there.

"Hi sweetheart, can you close the window for me? I tried and I can't really get up."

"Sure mom."

Madge was scared for her mom sometimes. The extreme headaches her mother got were frightening sometimes.

She left her mothers room and was about to go take a rest when the doorbell rang again. She looked at the clock. It was dinnertime but nobody was supposed to be coming by. She walked over to the door and counted to 30.

She got to about 25 before a voice came and said, "Why do you do that? Waiting just makes people irritated."

She rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the door.

"Yeah. I'm hoping you'll go away." she retorted playfully.

She opened the door and there stood the only other man she has ever known the love of; Haymitch. He was standing there, sober.

"Sober tonight, I see." Madge commented.

"I am. I came to make you dinner." he said.

Madge squished up her nose. That was the worst lie she had ever heard.

The relationship between Haymitch and Madge was another complication in her life. Haymitch was drunk out of his mind most of the time, no matter what. And he was normally rude. But sometimes, he did sober up. And sometimes, he was sweet. To Madge especially.

Madge was alone in her life. Her father was the mayor; no time for her. And, whether or not her family wanted to accept this or not, her mother has been clinically depressed since the last Quarter Quell, when her sister died. And when Haymitch couldn't save her.

But when Madge was born and as she grew older, people started to notice that she looked _exactly_ like her aunt, Maysilee. Terrified for her, and the odds of her being put in the games, Haymitch stood close from then on. He had always been close to Madge's mother, Haymitch having cared for Maysilee as much as she did. But Haymitch only visited once in a while, but he always made it memorable.

When Haymitch was just beginning to cook, Madge's asked, "Do you even remember how to cook?"

"Do you remember how to be quiet?"

"No, I don't. So you cooking concerns me." Madge said.

"I bet you get that snarky, sarcastic attitude from me." Haymitch praises.

"I only seem to have to use it _around _you, so yes."

Haymitch laughed. Then it was silent, except for the fizzle form the fire under the stove top. Madge sat on the opposite counter and looked down at her feet.

"Should I even ask where your mother is?" he said.

"In bed."

"Your father?"

"I don't know. He hasn't been home all day. He's probably in the square still, settling business." Madge guessed, even though she didn't see him there when she went to walk with Gale.

It was silent again. Haymitch chopped potatoes and tossed them into the soup bowl.

"So, how does it feel... to have both your tributes as victors?"

"Not as good as it should."

"Why not?"

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" Haymitch said, clearly avoiding the questions with force.

"No." Madge said. "Why won't you tell me? Is it because I won't understand?"

"You're more than capable of understanding." Haymitch said. But before Madge can retaliate, Haymitch turns around and points the wooden spoon at her. "How about I tell you, when you answer a few questions for me. What in the world made you give Katniss the pin?"

Madge swallowed hard and avoided looking at him. "She looked like she could use it. She's my friend. I care about her."

Haymitch didn't seem to be buying it. He tilted his head. "Try again, Margaret."

She tensed up angrily. "Fine!" she hopped down from the counter. "Because she's a strong person. The only other girl in that competition I could care about. I didn't know my aunt but I knew for a fact that that pin is a sign of the District and Katniss deserves to have it."

"Well, good you gave it to her. Because it's about to be a sign for something much bigger."

Haymitch turned around to kept cooking.

"What are you talking about?"

"You asked why I wasn't happy. I'll tell you why." Haymitch finished putting the seasoning in and then faced her. He faltered slightly, the expression on her face looking exactly like Maysilee, causing him pain. "Because of what Katniss did, disobeyed the Capitol. And after 74 years of pure torture, the people of Panem are becoming restless. They're not going to be able to take the Capitol much longer."

Madge creased her eyebrows in realization. That's another thing Haymitch loved in this girl. She was just like her aunt, not slow on picking things up and quick on her feet. A survivor for what it's worth.

"You mean..." she lowered her voice, "another rebellion?"

He nodded, looking around and out the kitchen window. From the kitchen window, across the back yard, in the distance, was Victor's Village. He looked; the lights of the Mellark's and Everdeen's were on, his shut off.

"I don't know. But that's sure what it seems like. The Capitol was not happy with Katniss' little berry stunt. Getting them both out was _not _what they wanted. Seneca Crane really messed up."

"So, they never put him in charge again. Big whoop. People can't really be getting all bundled up about some berries."

"Seneca Crane will never be in charge again." Haymitch said. "They've murdered him."

Madge raised her eyebrow, as if this was news but not surprising. Haymitch continued.

"And it's not just the berries. It's the star-crossed lovers from the weakest district who managed to defy the one thing the Capitol is using against it's people. If two weak people can take that away, millions of us can overthrow them. Who knows who's thinking like that but the Capitol is all in craze at the moment. They're not taking it lightly."

This settled in while the food finished. They sat at the table.

"So, why are you telling me this?"

"So you can be ready." Haymitch said back.

"I don't get it." Madge said, shaking her head and taking a spoon full of her soup. She made a face but swallowed anyways. "This is disgusting."

"Thanks." Haymitch said. "Get what?"

"You." she said, dropping her spoon. "And why you're so intent on protecting me. I don't understand why you believe that I can be useful with this kind of information..."

"Because you're smart." Was his answer.

And after another spoonful he elaborated on that phrase.

"Listen, I've gotten to know my victor's over the past few weeks and their personalities. And let me tell you, your best friend, Peeta, has got one way with words. He has a brain and a tongue as smooth as silk."

"I'm aware of that. He's my best friend." Madge stated.

"Well, here's a little story about the other one. She doesn't have a sly bone in her body, nor the brain capacity to even lie at all. She thinks with her instincts of her body, which is bad. She's one of the most unintelligent people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, although she's great on her feet and for fighting. But that's not gonna cut it for this rebellion."

Madge made a face and then shook her head. "I thought that was only a possibility. Are you _trying _to start a rebellion?"

He shook his head. "We have to be ready for the impossible though."

"What do I have to do with any of this?" Madge said.

"They may the star-crossed lovers. But you and Peeta are an unbeatable force."

Madge's face changed. "What?"

"Do you know anything about yourself, Madge?" he asked, with a slight tinge of arrogance. "You are just as brilliant as Peeta. You even each other out. He's quick with words and has a way to get people to come to his side for things. But you... When you open your mouth people hang onto each and every one of your last words, as if it'll help them escape death. You and him together... you guys could change the world."

Madge let what she already knew set in slightly whilst they finished dinner in silence. The only sound was her mother stirring slightly above and Haymitch grunting with disapproval.

When Haymitch was getting ready to leave, Madge grabbed his arm.

"You know... I'm not a kid anymore."

"I'm aware."

"And... I'm not my aunt..."

"...Mhmm..."

Madge took a deep breath. "So... You don't _owe_ me anything, Haymitch. Not protection. Not saving. Nothing."

Haymitch gently shook her hand off and grabbed her shoulder. With one lost and loving look in his eye, he stated sadly,

"You don't know how much I want to believe that's true."


	5. Chapter 4

Things got more and more unfair as the days passed.

Peeta could not be seen without Katniss. Katniss could not be seen without Peeta. Madge could not be seen standing too close to Peeta. Gale could not be seen as anything but a cousin to Katniss.

The camera's were everywhere for the next three days. Almost everyone that even came into the slightest contact with the victors was interviewed.

One day, they interviewed Madge on her relationship with Katniss and Peeta.

"Are you all good friends?" a woman, who was wearing some of the strangest things and speaking in the strangest accent, asked Madge. Madge was sitting in her living room, her father standing by the door, Haymitch on the wall.

"Yes, we are." Madge said, with a light smile.

"Are you happy to see them return home safely?"

"Absolutely!" Madge gushed at the lady.

The woman was very surprised, since Madge seemed to be one of the only people in all of District 12 that was, at the least, decent when it came to mannerisms and speaking. She was, to say the least, intelligent.

"That's wonderful! Now, how did you meet Katniss Everdeen?"

"One day, I was sitting alone, at a table with a lunch box. And, I noticed that Katniss was sitting alone on the bench. So, I walked over to her, I gave her my sandwich and then, I walked away. We've been friends ever since."

Although 'friends' wouldn't have been the word she would have used back then. Katniss never gave her more than a wave or a smile; nothing more.

"And what about Peeta Mellark?"

This was where the story she made up in her head had to come into practice. Haymitch tensed up slightly, but Madge smiled brightly and said, "Peeta and I have known each other since we were kids. He's the baker's son, my father throws a lot of professional parties. Everyone loves the Mellark sweets. That's how we came to know each other."

"Sounds like you two are pretty close..." the woman pushed, suddenly getting a mischievous look in her eye. Madge watched carefully, and her mouth turned into a bias, yet completely unreadable line.

"Close is a relative word, used in the utmost context of an unintelligible person. Peeta, Katniss and I are simply friends. This time, the odds were in our favor."

Haymitch smiled at her but looked down and the Mayor looked up proudly. When the woman seemed at a loss for words the Mayor said, "It's late and the train should be here soon. I'd hate for you to miss your ride back to the capitol."

And then the camera and the woman were gone. Madge let out a sigh and looked at Haymitch, who let out a gruff laugh, his foot sloppy. "Clever play on words."

She shook her head. "I am probably going to trigger something in the Capitol. That was stupid-"

"We've already triggered something, Choco. If I were the Capitol... well... I'd be scared."

Madge smiled at him. He was so entirely drunk that she wanted to laugh. But, this was the first time that she had saw Haymitch twice in one month, so she took what she could. Right now, he was the only one she could put any kind of trust in.

But when he fell over on the rug and tumbled down, hitting the wooden table, Madge covered her eyes, suddenly feeling what Katniss and Peeta felt when they first met him; putting my trust in him would be so stupid.

* * *

><p>Later on that night, there was a knock at her door.<p>

"Come in." she said, from her location of laying down on the floor.

When the door opened and Peeta walked in she smiled at him. "Well, if it isn't the superstar himself!"

She thrust her hands in the air whilst saying this and he fell to the floor next to her. "Please don't."

She turned her head to the side and watched as he brought his palms to his eyes and let out a sigh.

"What's wrong?" she asked, in a more serious tone. "I thought you'd be happy the camera's are gone..."

"I am, I just..." he shook his head. "You're gonna laugh."

"You say that every time you're about to talk about Katniss." Madge pointed out.

She watched Peeta sigh and roll over onto her shoulder, throwing his entire body over her.

"She's never gonna talk to me."

The weight was crushing her eternally but she didn't mind. Not at all. What she was really concerned about was how incredibly close she was to his face.

"Why?"

"Now that the camera's are gone and after the way I yelled at her on the train, she probably thinks I never want to see her anymore. Ever. That I don't even want to be around her."

"But you do." Madge said.

"Well..."

Madge creased her eyebrows.

"Well, what?" Madge asked.

Peeta looked up to her. "I'm tired of... of it all."

Madge, who usually comprehends things quite quickly, didn't know what Peeta was yabbering about. But she didn't say anything.

"It's not fair." He continued. "I'm here, suffering over loving her. And she obviously doesn't love the me the way she loves Gale."

"Well, here's something to consider..."

Madge didn't know why she was doing this. She didn't know why she was helping him with Katniss when she knew that she didn't want Peeta to be with Katniss because Katniss would never fully appreciate him. But the tenderness and loveliness in his voice when he spoke of her eclipsed all the reasons in Madge's mind.

"Do you think she really loves Gale that way?"

Peeta looked at her. "What?"

"Well..." she said. "You love me right. Ever think that maybe Katniss loves Gale like you love me?"

It occurred to Madge at that very moment, that that might have been the wrong choice in words because now she was unraveling something tricky, that she didn't even know she unraveled.

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

Then things were silent as she looked at him, a gleam in her eye. She smiled at him knowingly and he hugged her body tighter to him.

"Are you saying that you're done trying with Katniss?" she asked.

"Are you ever really done loving someone?"

"No. Absolutely not." Madge said.

Peeta laughed again. Then he got serious.

"You know." he said, lifting himself off her to look straight into her eyes. "If the Capitol finds out that me and Katniss tricked them, it won't be pretty."

She shook her head. "I know. You guys really didn't think this out thoroughly."

"What makes you say that?" he cringed.

She lifted herself up to the point where they were both sitting up. But Peeta didn't remove his arms from the side of her.

"You do realize, that now you and Katniss have the same job as Haymitch. You go in there and you train kids for the rest of your lives to win the Hunger Games, if they even continue..." she trailed off and by the look on Peeta's face, Haymitch has already spoken to him on this subject. So she continued,

"So, you have a commitment now. To each other. For the rest of your lives." These words sunk in before Peeta looked at her.

"All this, but you're leaving out one important thing..." Peeta mentioned.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I'm alive."

* * *

><p>When Madge opened her eyes, it was morning and the weight that had been laying on her the night before was gone. The light was dim and grey, which showed that it was going to rain. She sighed and rubbed her eyes.<p>

Her mind was ringing and her head hurts. Right now, her future wasn't looking so great.

Most likely, she was going to be single for the rest of her life. That was if she didn't die from a rebellion that could possibly be starting. That was if she didn't die from heartbreak.

For some reason, there was only really one probable answer for her future.

She had, if anything, repelled guys from the start. The only person she's ever known is Peeta. And now Peeta's with Katniss. So that left Gale by himself as well.

Which left Madge and Gale; the only other guy she had ever spoken to.

She grabbed her pillow and screamed into it.

Right now she was hoping for the ladder.


	6. Chapter 5

Nobody ever said that this would happen, so Madge was naturally unprepared for it when it happened.

"Madge!" Her father called. "There's someone waiting for you downstairs!"

She perked up her ears at the sound of her father yelling. She frowned. It wasn't Peeta. And if it wasn't him, she couldn't imagine who would come to see her at all.

But when she got downstairs, her eyes got wide in surprise and she tipped off balance a little.

She leaned against the wall. "Oh, hi."

A pair of grey-ish blue eyes looked at her from the position he was sitting on the couch.

"Hi." Gale said.

* * *

><p>"I have to be honest, I don't know why you're here."<p>

Madge and Gale had moved up to her room. Gale was sitting in the chair across from the bed, where Madge sat, staring at him. He looked around her room a lot, avoiding her eyes. At the sound of her question, Gale finally looked at her.

"I just..." he struggled. She waited patiently. "I didn't know where else to go."

"You could've gone to Katniss."

"No." he said. "I really could not have."

She stared at him again silently.

"I suppose," she said, jumping off her bed. She walked over to him and sat down in front of him on the floor. "That you were probably thinking the same thing I was."

"What's that?"

"That neither one of us can get what we want, so we have to settle for each other."

For once, Madge witnessed an actual smile come from Gale Hawthorne's mouth. He looked at her. He shook his head.

"I don't know," he started, "when life starting getting this pathetic."

"Charming." she said sarcastically.

He removed himself from the chair onto the floor in front of her.

"Do you think we'll live pathetic lives?"

"Elaborate on the word 'pathetic'..." she said.

"Us having to resort to each other, because Peeta and Katniss have to be with each other."

Madge had to bite her tongue, considering she knew that Gale didn't know about the rebellion. But what if there wasn't one? What would happen then?

"I think," she said, grabbing his hand in hers, "That we'll have to let our lives play out the way they have to."

He looked at her like she was his savior from the heavens.

She hadn't thought she said anything out of the ordinary but Gale had thought what she said was perfect.

He expected her to say something along the lines of 'Yes, your life will be miserable.' or 'Yes, you are completely pathetic.' But he hadn't expected her to understand. So, Gale started to notice that everything he thought about this girl was wrong.

"How do I do that without dying?"

"Well..." she said, laying back on the floor. "What's your favorite color?"

* * *

><p>Peeta creaked open the secret door. Enough so that the creak would let Madge know that he was here. Peeta had been with Katniss all day but he realized that Madge was the one he really wanted to talk to about this.<p>

Katniss and him had made up and talked about their lives. Peeta was happy. So happy that she was willing to go on with this life. The life of them. That meant that something inside Katniss was stirring. He was starting to believe, in his heart, that she could love him too.

He crept up the back stairs but when he got to the top, he pulled himself short at the sound of voices. He zeroed in on the voices and both were very familiar.

A loud laugh came from Madge's mouth.

"I swear it happened." Gale said back, in a mocking tone.

_Gale. _Peeta thought, a bit shocked. _Gale Hawthorne?_

"I swear, it happened." Madge laughed.

"I don't believe you. You're a spoiled brat."

"Oh, well you're right about _that_!" she said in a playful tone.

Then, Peeta decided he couldn't stand it anymore. So he went and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Madge yelled.

When Peeta walked in, neither Madge nor Gale changed expressions. Ones of cheerfulness and joy were upon their faces. Madge's voice was even more excited when she saw Peeta.

"Hey!" she said, getting up from her spot on the floor. Gale was laying across her bed, laying upside down. He got up when he saw Peeta, a neutrally nice expression on his face. "I didn't even hear you come in!"

"I know. You were busy." he said, a bit more harshly then he would have liked. Both seemed to wave it off.

"Come in. Gale just said he had to go."

"True." he said, laughing. He got up and walked over to Madge. He put his hand on the small of her back. "I'll see you later."

He smiled at Peeta. "Hey man, I'll see you around." He patted Peeta on the shoulder on his way out.

Madge walked over to her bed and laid down. When Peeta heard the door downstairs slam he walked over to Madge. He sat at her feet.

"What was that all about?" He asked.

"Gale came over to visit. We were just talking. He wanted to know about the mines and where he had to go to get a job as soon as possible. I told him I'd speak with my father on seeing if I can get him in earlier." Madge looked Peeta in the eyes, "He's not as fortunate as we have been."

Then she went back to looking at her nails.

"Okay." he said, untensing a little bit, even though he knew that wasn't the whole story. But who was he to argue.

"I made up with Katniss." Peeta said.

"THAT'S GOOD!" Madge yelled.

"Yeah, it is." Peeta said.

He looked at Madge, who's eyes were shining brilliantly and happy. Perhaps brighter than it ever was when he talked about Katniss. He wondered briefly about what Gale and her were talking about, but he pushed it aside in his mind.

"What's wrong?" Madge asked. "You don't seem too happy about it."

"I am!" Peeta said back, defensively

Madge was silent and then her eyes narrowed strategically at him and she suddenly became one of the most dangerous creatures ever to walk the planet. Peeta groaned and rolled off of her bed. He knew what was coming. The whole 'Don't-Lie-To-Me-Peeta-Mellark-I'm-Your-Best-Friend' talk was coming. He stood up and crossed his arms in front of him, standing his ground.

She quickly got up and walked over to him, copying his actions and staring straight at him. And that's how they stood for the next five minutes. Every so often, Madge's eyes would narrow even more, if that was even possible. She was menacing.

She reminded Peeta of a jaguar he once encountered when he was in the arena. How it crouched low and narrowed it's eyes, ready to attack him and kill him - not to mention give the people of the capitol a great show.

He closed his eyes and stepped back, his throat and mind starting to close a little. Suddenly, the nightmare was back. The arena, the terror, the anxious waiting to see if Katniss was still alive every night. Praying that she was doing the same. The terror of someone dying infront of you. The even more terrifying feeling of guilt as your killing someone.

How it was much easier to try to stay alive, then kill for your life.

Then suddenly, something changed,

Soon, the feeling changed. All of a sudden, he was filled with memories of life and how wonderful it was that how he got out of that arena. Suddenly, happier memories started to come up. memories from his childhood that he forgot he held. Things that he did. in the backery, in school, in life. Everything he did with Madge.

Soon his senses returned, and he could hear a voice.

"Peeta!" Madge was yelling.

His eyes focused in all of a sudden and it was bright. And just like that, he was in Madge's room. A frightened looking Madge stood infront of him, one of her hands at the back of Peeta's neck and the other on his cheek.

When his voice came back to him, he muttered softly. "I'm sorry."

Madge's eyebrows creased. He was looking at her incredulously. Like she was a new discovery from God. She swallowed back her nervous tears that were threatening to fall. She made sure all of it was down, before she started to talk again.

"You started to spazz. You looked pained. I didn't know what to do. I had to grab you to get you to calm down."

Peeta came to the realization that she was in fact touching him. His face turned even more confused and surprised. He reached up, without really knowing what he was doing, and put a hand on top of hers. She looked at him.

"Did... did I calm down as soon as you touched me?" Peeta asked.

"Yeah, just about." Madge said. She broke the grasp she had and backed up. "You scared me."

Madge, too shaken up to process anything, was oblivious to everything juxtaposed to Peeta, who's mind was reeling around the conclusion he had just come to.

"I'm sorry. It happens." Peeta chocked out, pulling her into a hug. "Ever since... they're just... it's hard..."

Madge sighed, holding him closer. "I know."


	7. Chapter 6

A couple weeks into their budding relationship, and Peeta couldn't have been happier. It had gotten to the point where they could actually have a full conversation and laugh and think happy thoughts without the games ever interfering.

Even though, in the end, the games were a big part of interference.

One night, Katniss asked Peeta if he had nightmares at all.

Peeta hesitated. "Yes. Every single night."

Katniss made her expression neutral but in the end, her voice gave her away. "Me too."

That night, Peeta climbed through Katniss' window and laid down with her. It was the first night they would actually spend together since being in the arena. It would be one of the most peaceful nights in what felt like an eternity of bad ones... for Katniss.

Katniss stood perfectly still in Peeta's arms, sometimes curling into him during the night. He liked the way she could just lay against him without any thought in her mind because where she was was finally a peaceful place.

If there is one place that should be absolutely peaceful, it should be your dreams.

There was no screaming, no movement at all from Katniss' body. However, when Peeta tried to fall asleep, it was the same for him. He would close his eyes from exhaustion, drift off only to be jolted awake by something so utterly disturbing, he couldn't move his body, in fear of the darkness.

So, he mostly watched Katniss stir gently in her sleep and press closer to him. When the sun rose and she opened her eyes, she smiled at him.

"Hi." Katniss said.

"Hello." Peeta said back.

"You're up early." she said, frowning slightly. He just smiled.

"I always am. Baker's Boy, remember?"

It was easier to lie to her than to tell the truth.

* * *

><p>Madge was awoken suddenly by a shift in her bed. Her eyes shot open.<p>

Peeta stood sat there, a small smile of amusement and amazement.

She groaned. "How did you survive in the games, I would have killed you in a millisecond."

When he didn't say anything to that, other than sighing and laying down at the foot of her bed, she frowned.

"Too soon?" she asked.

The genuine concern in her eyes stirred something in Peeta. He shook his head. "A little but not soon enough."

She laughed at this and moved over in her bed. She patted the space next to her. Peeta willingly got up and climbed over to her. She sat up and looked at the clock on her wall.

"Whoa!" she said, "What are you doing up at 7 in the morning?"

"I don't really get sleep."

Madge's mouth instantly turned into a hard, straight line. She lowered her eyebrows in concern. "Are you scared to sleep? Because you don't have to be here. I won't let anything hurt you."

"What are you, a guy?"

She hit him playful in his chest and rolled onto her back. "I'm just saying. You should no there's nothing to fear here."

"I know."

She looked over at him. "Then go to sleep."

She made a move to get up but he caught her wrist. "Nostay!" he said, quickly.

She opened her eyes wider. "Okay." She ignored the pitiful feeling of butterflies flying everywhere and their wing fluttering against her stomach. She laid down next to him and curled into his chest.

"Go to sleep."

Instantly Peeta's eyes closed.

* * *

><p>Peeta awoke to a bright light and a very yellow ceiling. For a minute, his surroundings were foreign to him. But then, Madge's room came into view and he blinked a couple of times. His body was stiff, but other than that he felt relaxed and calm.<p>

Looking down, he saw that his arms were holding something white and frail. And he followed it all the way up to Madge's face.

Madge was sitting in her desk next to her bed, with a textbook from school on literature opened wide next to her. She was biting on a pencil. She didn't look up when Peeta stared at her.

"You wouldn't sleep right unless you were in contact with me. So, I found common ground."

Slowly, he released his grasp on her arm. She jumped out of her chair, onto her side of the bed.

"Other than that, you slept like a baby. You muttered a lot of names of people from the games though."

Madge watched as Peeta rubbed his eyes. "I slept?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"The entire day." she said. She glanced over at the clock. "It's 4 in the afternoon."

His eyes widened slightly. "And I slept peacefully through the whole entire day?"

"Well," she said, cautiously. "There was one point where I got out of bed and walked over to the door but then you started to groan and stir, then your hand lashed out. So I came back. And when I laid down, you stopped."

Madge creased her eyebrows downward. She was absolutely not stupid. She could tell that Peeta had nightmares. Nightmares from the games. From what happened. Because honestly, even Haymitch still had nightmares and it's been 25 years. She breathed in suddenly as she watched him get up.

"Who's name was I muttering?"

"Mostly it was Cato's." she said. It was no use to lie to him.

He scoffed.

"You say that now," she said, "But you sounded genuinely concerned for him in your dreams."

"That psycho killer? Never." Peeta muttered angrily.

Madge gave him one of her famous looks; the one between confusion and disapproval.

"Peeta, " she stated. He sighed heavily. "I'm serious. It's okay to be have been concerned about him. It was _not _his fault that he was the way he was. Have you ever been to District 2? They train them to the death and back for these games. They pick a select few and train them from a young age and then one brave soul volunteers. Can you imagine that? Everyone around you obsessed with the Hunger Games, taught to have no morals whatsoever. No feelings. No anything."

Peeta stood quiet.

"And did you see the way that he panicked over Clove? He was basically hysterical over her, he just didn't know how to show it other than fighting for her and being angry. That was his other teammate. She could have gone home with him, together. And of all people who understand what it's like to want to go home with your team member, it would be you. Even if it wasn't Katniss."

Her words sunk in around Peeta.

"And then, when those mutts were _ripping_ at him. I begged all night for you guys to just kill him. The moment he fell was the moment I though that Katniss should have just killed him instead."

"Why are you even feeling for him?" Peeta asked, a little shocked.

"Because I feel for everybody!" she said, yelling slightly. "Especially a victim!"

"Victim?" Peeta said, angry now. "He _had _victims. HE WASN'T _THE _VICTIM!"

"Do you honestly believe that?" she asked.

He stared at her, unsure whether to speak his mind, or let her have it. Because honestly, she was sort of right.

"You had me. A friend. Imagine this. He's a seven year old kid, he meets Clove and he sees her and he talks to her and he likes her and they want to be friends but they can't be, because one day, the odds are going to be out of their favor and he's going to have to kill her. So, he denies her any access and her the same. And then, they throw them together in the games, force them to become close and then..."

Everything seemed to stop suddenly and there was nothing but Madge looking at him. Because she had said the things that drives her the most crazy. These were things that scared her and that she imagined being the worst things in the world. More than Peeta could even come to understand. He would just have to respect it.

"Come here."

She crawled over to him and leaned against him.

"I'm sorry." he said. "For making you feel that way. For making you scared."

"It's not your fault."

"I don't care. I'm sorry anyways."


	8. Chapter 7

"I'm sorry if you feel personally victimized by me. I just wanted to talk to you before you go into the mines..."

Madge found herself, midday Sunday, right before mining season, walking the outskirts of the entire district. It was much easier to do than it seemed. Katniss and Peeta were too busy figuring out skills or finishing off interviews to mind them any business for the next few weeks.

"I don't." Gale said, blatantly.

Madge walked silently next to him. She watched the contrast between them. It was almost too scary for words. She was almost always in a dress with nice boots or to say the least, nice clothing. Gale was always in the same thing. Always ratty, barely cleaned. Madge thought she needed to fix that.

"Margaret-"

"Don't!" she said, groaning. "I hate that you call me that."

He grimaced. "I know exactly what you're thinking?"

"What's that?"

"That you wanna help me, but you don't have to."

She sighed and stopped walking. He stopped too. She shook her head, as straight as she could. "You're wrong."

He shook his head and continued to walk. And after a big sigh and running her fingers through her hair, she followed him.

"Why?"

"You ask that question a lot." she said back.

"Is that bad?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it's useless to try to get an answer out of me. I'm too clever, too sweet and too kind. That's all you need to know. That's all you'll ever know unless I choose to show you more." She stomped ahead of him a bit. "You think you have me figured out Gale, but you don't."

She turned around and once again found herself face to chest with Gale Hawthorne. She looked up at him. He was shaking his head, smirking down at her. "Why?"

"Arghhhhh!" she stomped away angrily. She could hear him laughing. She kept walking, realizing that someone like him would always want to understand and never could.

Before she made it ten steps, she felt a hand on her arm. She twisted around. "What?"

"Hey, you said it yourself, we're probably stuck with each other forever. I mean, if you believe that to be true, you're gonna have to let me in sometime or another."

"Another." she said back.

She smiled at him and he couldn't help it, he smiled back. Her smile got wider.

"I like that."

"What?" he said, loosening the grip on her hand.

"When you smile. You rarely do it. It suits you."

"And what exactly is there to smile about?"

"Your pessimist ways contrasting to my optimistic ones." she said cheekily.

"You call yourself optimistic?" he said, walking again.

"What would _you_ call it?"

"Pretending."

She stopped suddenly, so abruptly that Gale kept walking for several more paces before he turned around. She was still staring at him. Her eyes narrowed a bit but then softened, a confused look crossing her face.

"What makes you say that?"

"Isn't that what you say all the time? You only show what you choose to, so the rest is a lie. You don't really believe that we could be happy together."

"We could try."

"I don't believe it."

"I do." she said, defiantly. And suddenly, she was doing it again. The entire world seemed to stop in almost an instant. Madge felt her body tense up. Something she did when she was about to be right.

"You _want _to be happy? You want to _make _people happy? You want to prove to Katniss that you can be happy without her, real or not real?"

He didn't answer. She continued.

"I will try, to the end of the world to make sure that you are absolutely happy if you choose to have a life with me, which apparently to you is an unhappy life. But Gale, one thing you have to understand about me is that I don't care whether I'm happy or not. I go to the ends of the earth and back to make sure that people can be happy because when you live in a world like ours, people deserve happiness. _You _deserve happiness. And I don't really care how unhappy a life with me would be, I'd make it at the least bearable. I'm going to _try_."

Gale was silent. Then, almost in a flash he was in front of her. He bent down and in a moment, captured her lips with his.

It didn't register at first, what was happening. It seemed robotic of her to stand still. And when she did realize, she fell against him, and tried her best to kiss him back. And then, they both pulled away. After a breath.

"Oh." Madge said.

"Sorry, Margaret." he said, letting go of her waist, which she hadn't realize his hands were until they were gone.

"Don't be." she said, squinting her face up. "It was actually good."

He laughed at this. Then his face turned into a frown and he shook his head. "I kissed Katniss."

"Oh, I bet she's a much better kisser than me."

"Much."

"Hey!" she said, taking leaves off the floor and throwing it in his direction. He laughed at her attempt and grabbed her hand in his so they could keep walking. It felt strange but comfortable. It didn't send chills down her spine but she didn't cringe at his hand. Everything felt natural. Nice.

"We're not meant for each other." Madge said, shaking her head.

"I could have sworn we settled that before."

"We did. I'm just reminding us."

They walked in silence again, happy they were on the outskirts of town, out of sight. Gale sighed and let go of her hand as they rounded the corner to the nicest part of town. Right where Madge's house is.

"I was meant to be with Katniss. I know it."

She lifted and eyebrow and said in a silly voice, "You _believe _that?" she mocked.

"Where do you get your sense of humor from?"

This brought a frown to her face. A deep sensation of missing swept through her. She took a deep breath and shook off her nerves. She didn't want to think about it.

"A friend." she said.

They walked as they passed Katniss and Peeta's house. They could see the light in the Everdeen's kitchen on. Gale watched it.

"Go inside." Madge said.

"What?" Gale said looking at her. "No, I'm with you."

"Don't, Gale. We both know that if there is even a slight chance for you to be with Katniss, you'll do it. Go do it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." she said. "But thank you for the walk, the talk, and even the kiss. All three were very nice." She said, mocking him. She kissed him quickly on the cheek and then she took off in the other direction.

"You're welcome." he called after her.

* * *

><p>Katniss watched from the window in her bedroom as Gale walked up to her house with Madge, there bodies too close for Katniss' comfort. The kiss with Gale lingered on her lips.<p>

She watched them both stop and look up at her house. Madge said something that made Gale very alert. He tugged at her arm but she shook her head, laughing. She said something, kissed him on the cheek and then bounded off in the direction of her house.

Katniss' eyebrows creased. There was a strong twist in her stomach. Strong than anything else she felt. She felt angry at Madge, for even thinking of being too close to Gale. That was her best friend. he was _her _everything. Madge could not just swoop in and take that away from her.

She wouldn't let her.

* * *

><p>It's funny how different the two boys were really; Gale and Peeta. Especially to Madge. She felt very comfortable with both of them. But a different comfortable with each.<p>

There was an ease with Gale. A sense of safety and understanding. Mostly because both Madge and Gale understood each other. They had a mutual understanding that they did not love each other and that the people that they do love, are in love with each other too much. And they would never jepardize that. They'd both rather be unhappy than see the people they love unhappy.

However, with Peeta, Madge was floating. She felt good about herself. She felt happy and easy going. She didn't pretend to be something she wasn't. She was her. He was him. Everything was perfect. Because they were both two perfect people.

Just the kind of people to start a rebellion. The perfect kind.

She rolled over in her bed and screamed into her pillow. She didn't want to start a revolution. She did not want to be apart of one. 

But without really noticing, or really doing anything, she already was.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys!<strong>

I wanna say thanks for all the reviews. You guys are really, really sweet and I'm really glad you guys like this story. I truly am. And I **promise _it's not a Glae/Madge_**.

It's still Peeta/Madge, you must be patient.

Literature. Listening. Learning.

~.Writer.


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